The Dragon and The Midget
by fullmetalfairytailhunter
Summary: This next mission was going to be one helluva long trip. Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or anything from Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does.
1. The Invitation

Levy was sitting in one of the many chairs at the guild with a large book and pages spread across the table she was seated by. Her knees pulled up to her chest, her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed behind the ruby red glasses that were perched carefully on the end of her nose, anyone could tell that she was in her own world, focusing on the heavy tome in front of her. Normally, no one would bother to disturb her when she was concentrating on research but, a certain dragon slayer was not like most people. Levy did not even sense his intimidating presence come up behind her until he clapped his large, heavy hand on her bare shoulder, enticing a high pitched squeak from her lips. She spun in her seat to discover the foreign presence and relaxed at the sight of her familiar friend.

"Gajeel! I nearly had a heart attack!"

The hearty chuckle that rumbled from the broad chest of the tall mage helped a small blush form across the solid script mage's nose and cheeks from embarrassment.

"Sorry Shrimp. Din mean to scare ya."

Gajeel fell into a chair next to Levy and looked at the large book curiously as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Whatcha doing, Bookworm? That book is bigger than you!"

Levy glared at the man and dragged her attention back to the relatively new book in front of her.

"I'm translating a language. A dead one."

Gajeel simply looked confused as he regarded the papers and notebooks sprawled across the table.

"Looks like useless scribbles to me."

He grumbled as he settled back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, to me it's not! What did you need, Gajeel? Did you just come over here to tease me?"

Levy huffed at him as she imitated his form, crossing her arms, covering her chest. The iron dragon slayer regarded her with slight surprise. Usually the bookworm wasn't this touchy when it concerned a book. It finally dawned on him after looking at the woman next to him and he chuckled.

"You can't figure out this… thing."

He pointed out, referring to the large book.

"That's why you're being a brat!"

She simply gaped at him, about to defend her case when she sighed and let her shoulders fall.

"I'm sorry Gajeel. I've never seen a language like this one and Master asked me to translate it but, so far, I've only been able to translate the word for a person's backside and, usually, it's not this difficult!"

As her rant ended with a groan, she set her head on the table in defeat, not even noticing the grin on the face of the mage beside her.

"Go on a mission with me then."

Levy snapped her head up to glance at the grinning Gajeel who was leaning on the table.

"Wha- but, what about Lily?"

Gajeel shrugged and leaned back in his chair again, intertwining his fingers behind his head.

"He took a mission by himself, it seems like you need a break from this translating shit and that damn barmaid pushed this stupid mission on me claiming that only you and I could do it or some shit like that. Apparently, it warns of runes and traps."

Little did Gajeel know that Mirajane and Lucy had been collaborating and planning to get Levy and the man together and they would be damned if this plan didn't work.

Levy glanced at Gajeel suspiciously.

"What are the details of this mission?"

Gajeel smirked as he recited what Mirajane told him.

"Finding the ancient library of Fiore and securing its location. But, it's been lost for over a hundred years. There are rumors of monsters, traps and rogue mages. You up for it shrimp?"

He raised his eyebrows in challenge but, he can tell that Levy will go because of the sparkle in her eyes at the mention of a lost library. The tiny mage swiftly stood, placing her hands on the large tome and regarded Gajeel with a smile.

"Heck yes I'm up for it!

"Well, get your things ready, Midget. We're leavin' tonight."

* * *

**First multi-chapter fic! And yes, I have at least a few chapters planned for this one and I have another one in the making! That one will be a long one. I hope. But, I hope you like this chapter! I should have another one up in a week but, don't hold me to it! I suck with updating. Review! Tell me what you think!**


	2. The Journey

**Welcome to chapter 2 ladies! (and gentlemen if you're out there) Like I said before, I will be trying to update once a week with this since I already have another chapter written out, that should be easily done. Also, I edited chapter 1 since I noticed a few errors and changed the wording a bit but, it wasn't too much of a change.**

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"Do I need to carry you too, Shrimp?"

Levy simply glared at the tall man who was far ahead of her in the dense forest that was located outside of Magnolia. It was an uncharted area that no one **dared** to enter. Well, except for Gajeel and Levy. Maybe that was why the library had never been located until now. Since, this was the rumored location of said library but, unfortunately, the forest happened to be three days away from Magnolia and a day away from any form of civilization. So, there was no train or form of transportation to take them to the rumored location. If there was a train, there would be no mission since that would mean the library had been found! Yet, it wasn't Levy's fault that her legs were so short.

"No, you do not!"

She grumbled and jogged to catch up to the grinning dragon slayer who was carrying not only his bag but, hers as well. Levy had objected in the beginning once they got off the train but, he had been persistent in carrying her bag. Something about not wanting to watch a midget struggle.

"Damn Bookworm. What the hell is in this bag of yours anyway?"

He growled, glaring at the little bag that had a substantial amount of weight for its size. Levy raised an eyebrow and opened the sack in the man's arms, revealing more books than he thought the bag could carry.

"Do you even need all of these, Midget? Are these the only things you brought with you?"

He looked at her incredulously, slightly surprised at her strength considering this is the bag she carried around daily and it wouldn't surprise him if this was the same number of books she carried around at the guild every day. She smiled at him with sheer happiness and he can feel a warmth spread through him like a warming fire was in front of his chest.

"I just wanted to be prepared in case we run into any traps. And, I brought other things, too!"

She motioned to the other sack strapped to her back with a flourish of her tiny hand and Gajeel can't hold in the groan of mock irritation.

"Let me guess. More books."

Levy raised her head to look at him with innocence shining in her eyes.

"No! Well, maybe a few more but, I also have a sleeping bag! And some change of clothes for the next few days!

She retaliated and sped up her pace to walk in front of him, as if proving to him that she wouldn't lag behind and cause them to lose any more time. Gajeel just shook his head and stared at her in wonder, as that same warmth from before spread through his chest all the way to his toes and he smiled to himself, following after the tiny script mage.

* * *

As the sun finally disappeared and night overtook the sky, Gajeel stopped in a clearing, noticing a weary Levy that halted beside him. Even though they had already been travelling for three days, the first two had been by train and they had rested in inns for the past two nights. The third day had all been on foot and they would have to make camp this time seeing as there were no inns at their disposal. Gajeel could have kept going through the night and all through the next day until he reached their destination but, as Levy stifled a yawn, he decided to finally stop and set up camp for the rest of the night. Otherwise, he would be carrying the tiny woman for the rest of the night in his arms. Yet, for some reason, he didn't think he would mind.

"Alright Midget. You set up your sleeping bag and I'll go find us some wood to start a fire."

Gajeel added, noting the goose bumps that spread on the female mage's skin. She smiled at him gratefully as she took her pack from him and went to set up her area. The dragon slayer wandered through the forest and picked up dry pieces of wood to feed the fire. Not soon after he left the clearing, he heard a high-pitched voice calling his name. He was already sprinting toward the scream before the wood he dropped managed to hit the ground.

"Levy!"

Gajeel bursted into the clearing, his arm already shifted into a dangerous sword. The sight he came upon was hardly worth his reaction. Levy smiled at him sheepishly.

"I may need a little bit of help here."

The solid script mage had also brought a new, complex tent and was tangled up in the rods, cloth and ropes that had come with it. He wondered why she couldn't just create one with her magic. His jaw was almost on the forest floor before he snapped his mouth closed and glared at the tiny woman.

"God dammit Shrimp! I thought you were in real trouble!"

He growled as he stalked over to her to untangle her small form from the tent's material.

"Sorry! I tried calling your name multiple times but, apparently, you didn't hear me. So much for super sensitive hearing."

As she mumbled the last part, mainly to herself, Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her, finally releasing her from the last of the entanglement.

"There. Do you even need this damn thing?"

Gajeel asked, glowering at the cloth he was holding at arm's length. Levy sighed in defeat.

"No. It's getting too late now. It's not worth it. Can you put it away and I can go grab the fire wood?"

He simply hmphed in agreement and began his attempt at rolling up the intricate thing. For the second time that night, a Fairy Tail mage set out for fire wood. It didn't take her long to get an armful and find her way back to the clearing.

"Gajeel! I found some wo-"

She broke off mid-sentence when she noticed the large dragon slayer laying on his back with his arms behind his head, acting as a pillow.

"Gajeel?"

She whispered as she tiptoed over to him until she saw the slow rise and fall of his broad chest. She smiled to herself noticing the perfectly put away tent and the carefully laid out sleeping bag, not two feet away from Gajeel's sleeping form. Levy set the wood into a pile and lit the fire with her magic. Once the flame flared to life and clung to the wood, the male mage's face lightened up along with the clearing they had claimed as theirs for a night. The light flickered across his sculpted visage capturing Levy's attention. She had never seen him so peaceful. The familiar glower was completely gone from his face and, for a reason unknown to herself, she slightly missed it. She admitted that she had grown fond of the man's facial expressions. His glower, glare, smirk, and rare smile that would occasionally grace his lips. Before she realized her actions, her hand was reaching toward his mouth with the intent of tracing his soft looking lips. The small woman was completely entranced by his mouth and face. Well, mainly his mouth and wondering what they would feel like against her own.

When her fingertips were less than an inch away from his lips that were parted slightly in sleep, a hand shot up and gripped her wrist, halting her hand's progression. Levy's eyes snapped to the dragon slayer's that were open and regarding her with a confused glare.

"Whaddaya think you're doing, Bookworm?"

Levy squeaked in surprise and embarrassment, ripping out of his grip as her face turns the color of a newly bloomed rose.

"I- um- wh- T-there was something on your face! I thought it was a bug! Oh! It's gone! Good night Gajeel! Thank you for putting away my tent!"

Gajeel watched her hunker down into her sleeping bag and turn her back to him in utter confusion.

"Uh, yeah. G'night Levy."

_What is going on with that woman?_

Gajeel decided that tomorrow was going to be a long walk to their destination before falling asleep, warmed by the fire Levy had built and wondering where exactly the midget had been intending for her hand to be.

* * *

**Woo! Beginnings of feelings! I know it's not quite action packed and neither will chapter 3 be. I don't think... but, I know that the 4th chapter will be! I looked over this and there should not be any misspellings and I do hope that you think Gajeel is in-character as much as I do. Also, please please PLEASE review! I got the sweetest review and it urged me to update as soon as I had this typed out. It's because of sweet comments like that that I continue to write. Please, keep them coming! I should have 3 up by next saturday. Be looking for it!**


	3. The Map

**Hello! I finally got around to putting up chapter 3. I was so busy and exhausted. I may be a few days late with chapter 4 next week so, you are probably going to have to wait a bit. Sorry guys! We see more of the discovery of feelings in this one! MWAHAHA! Enjoy!**

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"What did ya do to my face last night, Shrimp?"

It was around midday and the two Fairy Tail mages were eating some of the food that they had packed as they traveled not wanting to lose any more time. Levy had kept quiet nearly the entire time but, now, choked on the bread she had been chewing at the abrupt question. Gajeel pounded on her back with the intention of helping. When she could finally breathe again, she glanced up at him through her eyelashes as a blush began to spread across her cheeks. She snapped her attention back to the path in front of them, attempting to avoid further embarrassment, before finally answering him.

"Nothing. T-there was a bug and I wanted to get rid of it."

Gajeel hummed in agreement, dragging his attention from the short woman walking beside him. He smirked to himself before making his next statement.

"I think you were too distracted by how handsome I am."

Levy's head nearly rolled off her shoulders because of how fast she whipped her head around to face the man walking next to her, watching her with a smug grin. A blush over took her face and she spluttered and stuttered, waving her hands in front of her face as if dismissing his accusation.

"N-no! There was a bug!"

She managed to spit out but, Gajeel just smiled devilishly, enjoying his teasing and getting the desired reaction from the blue haired woman.

"So, I'm not handsome? Eh, Shrimp?"

"No! I mean! Maybe…"

She paused for a moment as if truly thinking about him being handsome and Gajeel had to hide the small look of surprise on his face.

"No! You are not!"

Gajeel chuckled his signature 'geehee' and walked ahead of the spluttering solid script mage.

"Stop teasing me!"

"Too much fun, Shrimp!"

He called out over his shoulder as she sprinted to catch up. The dragon slayer glanced down at her to see if she was genuinely irritated but, from the subtle smile playing across her lips, it didn't seem as though she minded too much.

* * *

Night had fallen over an hour ago and the two mages still had not found the library. Levy was stomping angrily throughout the bushes, creating her own path. She had a large map unfolded in front of her face, not paying attention to where she was going but, miraculously, had not tripped as of yet.

"My research is never wrong."

Levy grumbled in frustration. She had spent their time on the trains researching for the exact location of the missing library from old tales and books although, it had seemed as though the library was changing locations from all the different information she collected. Multiple books claimed the library wasn't even in Fiore. More books claimed it was on an island but, most of them claimed the library was in this forest a day and a half away from any civilization. Levy was able to pin point the exact location. Or, so she thought.

"Well, obviously, 's wrong Bookworm."

He could have sworn that a growl came from the petite mage walking a distance ahead of him.

"No! It's supposed to be right around he-"

An ear shattering scream ripped through the air, nearly stopping his heart completely as Levy disappeared in the underbrush after she took a small step forward.

"Levy!"

Gajeel called out as he rushed forward, moving the bush to see where the tiny woman had disappeared. Behind the foliage, the edge of a steep hillside jutted out. As he frantically looked to the bottom of the hillside, searching for his companion, he saw a flash of blue hair peeking out from the new level of underbrush.

_ Dammit! She better be okay._

The tall dragon slayer nearly threw himself down the hillside to reach her side as quickly as he could. When he finally hit the bottom, he carefully removed her from the shrub.

"Levy? C'mon, wake up, Levy!"

He gently shook the unresponsive woman in his arms who was covered in cuts and already forming bruises. There was a particularly nasty gash right above her left eyebrow that blood was trickling from.

_ Shit! What do I do?!_

As Gajeel tried not to panic and think of the what he needed to do to help the small form resting against him, a groan escaped the female mage's lips.

"Levy? Levy, can you hear me?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion before she gingerly opened her eyes.

"What happened? Did I trip?"

Levy asked, looking up at Gajeel's face as he let out the breath he didn't know that was being held in his lungs. He couldn't help but let a chuckle rumble through his chest and Levy reveled in the feeling and the warmth that spread throughout her body once she realized that she was still in the man's arms.

"Trip is an understatement, Shrimp. Ya fell and rolled down a steep hill or cliff. Whatever you want to call it."

The blue haired mage's eyes widened.

"I was not expecting that cliff to be there."

"Well, course not. Otherwise, ya probably wouldn't have fallen. Well, now that yer awake, are ya alright?"

She smiled up at him and nodded.

"Yep! We have to hurry and find this library. It should be around here somewhere! I'm sure of it."

Gajeel gently helped her to her feet and aided in cleaning the cut on her forehead. As she brushed off her clothes and assessed the damage from her fall, Gajeel took in their surroundings to see where they had landed. Luckily, Gajeel had been carrying the bags while Levy was navigating so they didn't lose anything.

"We should probably set up camp for the night. If we keep travelling in the dark it's only a matter of time before you trip or fall again, Bookwo-"

His sentence was cut off from Levy letting the whisper of his name slip past her lips and gripping his large, rough hand with her small, soft one. At her touch and his name on her lips in the form of a whisper, he felt a jolt of electricity shoot from his hand though out his entire body like the time Laxus hit him with his magic but, this wasn't painful like before, it was exciting and… pleasurable.

_ What in the hell is goin' on with me? Am I sick?_

The confused dragon slayer turned to regard Levy whose free hand was raised and pointing to, what seemed like, the night sky that was dotted with stars. Yet, upon closer inspection, Gajeel realized that there was an outline of a tall, wide, rectangular shape that protruded from the trees.

"That's it Gajeel! We found it! It has to be the library!"

He smirked in pure amazement at the tiny woman clutching his hand in hers. Leave it to her to find something lost for centuries.

"I guess they don't call you Bookworm for nothin', huh?"

Levy rolled her eyes at the man standing next to her, releasing his hand and placing her hand on her hip. Gajeel felt a bit of disappointment at the lack of her hand in his.

"You're the only one who calls me that, Gajeel."

The pierced mage paused for a moment in thought before smirking down at Levy once more.

"Seems yer right Midget!"

She sighed in defeat but, a smile played across her lips as Gajeel ruffled her hair in a familiar fashion. The pair began the trek toward the lost building, deciding they would camp a bit closer and wondering what exactly they were going to discover.

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**I hope you enjoyed chapter 3! Chapter 4 should pick up the pace a bit. I know it's been slow but, bare with me. I have a lot planned! Please, review and tell me if you catch any spelling or grammar errors! Plus, if you think you know where this is going, I would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks guys! See you sometime next week!**

**Also, thank you to all of the lovely people who are reviewing, favoriting, and following this story. It gives me the extra boost to keep this going. I love hearing from you!**


	4. The Danger

**Sorry this took so long to update! I had life beating me to a pulp and it wouldn't let me go until tonight but, it's still tugging me away from the computer so, sorry about that! I hope you like chapter 4! **

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It was at least ten in the morning and Levy and Gajeel were still walking toward, what they suspected to be, the library. They had set out early in the morning after waking from a restless night. Mainly because Levy would not lie still the entire night out of pure excitement and Gajeel was still pondering what in the world was going on with his body whenever the female mage had contact with him or even looked in his general direction. It didn't help that they were alone in the woods together so, Gajeel couldn't distract himself with sparring or even speaking to Lily. Gajeel was yanked out of his thoughts at the sound of an exasperated sigh.

"It wasn't that far away when we set up camp last night! It's like it moved!"

The dragon slayer chuckled at the impatience of the blue haired mage walking a few paces ahead of him. Of course she would be anxious to find books that no one had seen in a century.

"Calm down shrimp. We'll get there when we get there. 'nd buildings don't move! You of all people should know that."

Levy turned to him, looking as though she was about to say something but, Gajeel spun toward the trees to their right. His arm had quickly stretched out in front of Levy, offering protection but, from Levy's view point, there was nothing she needed protecting from yet, she inched closer to her tall companion anyway.

"Gajeel?"

She whispered, gently placing her hand on his back, causing his body to stiffen even more and, fisted his shirt between her tiny fingers. He glanced at her and motioned for Levy to be quiet by placing a finger to his lips with his free hand. Levy nodded and stared in the direction where Gajeel was looking. After a few minutes of them standing like that, Levy let go of him and turned to continue walking.

"There's nothing there Gajeel. We're wasting ti-"

"GET DOWN LEVY!"

Immediately, she felt her body fall against the hard ground by a rough shove and she covered her head with her tiny hands, hoping they would suffice for protection. She heard a growl and knew right away that it had definitely come from Gajeel but, his was met by another, lower growl that had her eyes widening. She looked up at Gajeel and found him fighting with a large beast that resembled a large cat but, was as large as a bear and had teeth and claws that seemed to revel those of a dragon. Or, so she thought since she had never seen one. After spotting Gajeel and the beast, she realized that there were two others hiding in the foliage surrounding them.

"Gajeel! There are two more!"

Quickly, she scrambled to her feet and grabbed her magic pen to throw anything at the beasts that were now closing in on the two still fighting in the middle as the two wrestled back and forth. The beast clawed at Gajeel leaving deep scratches on his arms and chest but, Gajeel was hitting him back with his iron posts that were formerly his arms. Levy wrote out fire and threw it at the two dragonbears, which is what Levy decided to call them in the midst of the chaos, that were stalking towards her. Once the fire hit one of the beasts, it roared, running in a circle, catching the surrounding greenery on fire. Miraculously, the dragonbear who's fur was excellent kindling for a flame, managed to scare off the third dragonbear and ran headfirst into the one who Gajeel was fighting with, the beast roared and Gajeel took that time to land one final blow against the beasts' heads with his iron posts. The dragonbears collapsed, one on top of Gajeel and one on the forest floor, not 2 feet away from the fierce dragon slayer, unconscious, most likely dead, and he threw aside the one on top of him with ease. Levy ran over to him with wide eyes.

"Gajeel! Are you alright?!"

She began inspecting his wounds that ran deep and long across his skin.

"Eh, I've had worse. No use worryin' shrimp."

"These are still bad Gajeel!"

Levy immediately got her small medical kit out of the pack that remained on her back and set to work with cleaning his wounds, eliciting the occasional curse from the lips of the intimidating dragon slayer once she applied a healing salve Porlyusica had given her that she knew would burn but, would speed up the healing process.

"Guess there are some weird creatures in this forest. I was wondering when we would see one."

Gajeel snorted in response.

"Just a matter o' time. What in the hell were those things anyway?"

"Nothing I've ever read about. I was calling them dragonbears in my head."

She mumbled, a little embarrassed at the pathetic name she had come up with on the spot. Gajeel chuckled and her blush deepened, spreading to the tips of her ears.

"How bout zivotinja?"

Levy regarded him with a surprised glance as she wrapped gauze around his injuries. The dragon slayer shrugged with indifference.

"It means beast."

Now, it was Levy's turn to chuckle.

"I know it means beast but, I'm surprised you knew."

Gajeel snorted again, waiting for her to finish with his bandages.

"Surprised I'm not dumb?"

"No, more impressed."

She looked up at him as she finished with his bandages with a wide grin, making her eyes crinkle in the corners and again, he felt a spark. It began in his chest and spread slowly throughout his body, making his body shiver with a slight pleasure and his heart fluttered.

_Fluttered? Am I a damn girl now?_

He cleared his throat and stood, extending his hand to Levy who had finished packing up her supplies.

"Let's go find yer library, Midget."

The small mage placed her hand in his, letting her body be gently pulled from the ground and set soundly on her feet. She wanted his hand to remain in hers. She felt safe when she physically knew where he was in correspondence to her but, the tall man dropped her hand once she stood and Levy felt as a disappointment take her over until his hand touched the top of her head and ruffled her bright hair.

"C'mon Bookworm."

She smiled again, happy that he wasn't seriously hurt and walked alongside with her trusted companion.

* * *

It wasn't more than twenty minutes that the two had been walking together before they managed to find the tall, square building in the middle of a clearing with overgrown, swaying grass and wild flowers bending to the will of the slight breeze that found its way into the clearing. It seemed untouched by the vicious forest Levy and Gajeel had just come out of. The short female was awestruck by how beautiful the whole area was. The building seemed older than originally thought with its structure being rectangular stretching toward the deep blue sky that was now visible because of the lack of trees.

"Gajeel! We found it!"

The dragon slayer smirked as she squealed in happiness and clapped her hands together, bringing them up to cover her mouth with a smile. He realized that this was the Levy he liked to see, her being so excited and happy, with her smile curving her luscious lips.

_Okay. I need ta see Porlyusica when we get back. I have ta be sick._

He was brought back to the real world when he noticed Levy running towards the building they had been searching for these past few days and had miraculously found, thanks to the woman who decided to accompany him.

"Oi! Be careful, Bookworm! We don't know what's in there!"

He jogs to catch up to her, as she halted in place, looking at something on the ground. He was gaining on her and was about to breeze past her when she yelled for him to stop where he was and for him to not go any further.

"Wha's goin' on, Midget?"

The tall man asks as he stops by her side.

"Runes. Meant to kill any living thing that passes over them."

At that moment, a butterfly with bright orange and yellow wings, flutter over their heads, towards the building and right into an invisible fence of electricity, frying it's tiny body into ashes. Gajeel stares at where the butterfly was, just moments ago.

"What the hell?"

"That's not the only thing. It's designed to keep anybody out, sure. But, it's also designed to not let anyone leave if they manage to get past them. Whoever made these did not want whatever is in that building to leave."

He smirks at the blue haired woman next to him that continued to do things that amazed him.

"Gonna crack the rune Bookworm?"

Levy smiles almost evilly, putting on her ruby glasses and grabbing her pen out of her pocket.

"If it's the last thing I do on this mission, I swear I will crack this rune by night fall."

* * *

**Dun dun! I hope you liked Chapter 4! Sorry it took me longer than last time to post it. Please PLEASE review! Also, I generally post information about my fanfic updates on my tumblr! So, if you become impatient and want to know when the hell I'm going to post the next damn chapter, ask me! or simply look for the posts! My tumblr is fullmetalfairytailhunter. I want to thank everyone for all of the support I've been getting up until now! It's fantastic 3 thank you everyone, review, read, and enjoy! I will see you all next week!**


	5. The Barrier

One of Gajeel's eyes crack open and peers at the small mage sitting a few feet away from him who lets out a groan of frustration for the third time in the past half hour. It has already been about four hours and the sun has disappeared over the edge of the trees. Gajeel is sprawled in the tall grass, using his hands as a pillow to support his head but, he's prepared to spring up in case any more zivotinjas show up. Strangely enough though, there are no signs of any living creature in the area besides the solitary butterfly that was incinerated in mid-air earlier. The dragon slayer can't help but think that this quiet is bordering on the suspicious. His thoughts are, once again, interrupted by a frustrated sigh. Gajeel smirks at the blue haired woman.

"Any luck, Bookworm?"

Levy sighs again and flops backwards onto the grass next to her companion.

"I'm nearly there. It's just that there are some symbols I don't recognize. It's as if they combined multiple languages to make their own but, they keep using words out of context, changing the meanings!"

The tall, male mage sits up and glances down at her as he leans back on his hands.

"C'mon Shorty! Ya already know what it does. Don't ya just reverse it or somethin'?"

Levy regards him with an irritated glance before sitting up herself, pulling her knees to her chest.

"I wish it were that simple. I have to translate their language first and there are a few I still don't understand."

She gestures to a part of the circle that surrounds the entirety of the building. These particular runes that make up the protective border were written into the ground signifying that they are centuries old. The sold script mage had explained that a long time ago, runes were physically written out before the magical light pens had been invented. Yet, these runes seem more than 100 years old. As Gajeel looked at the symbols Levy had been working on, two of them catch his eye.

"Oi! Bookworm!"

The small woman glances at him in confusion but, finds him staring at the symbols. She scoots closer and directs her attention to the runes.

"What is it Gajeel?"

"These look kinda like some of what ya were working on before we left the guild."

There was a short moment of silence before a high pitched squeal of excitement nearly has Gajeel falling over in surprise. Levy jumps up and rushes over to her bags and begins searching through them, pulling out massive amounts of books.

"Gajeel! You are an absolute **genius**! How could I not have thought of it before?!"

"Uh… What did I do?"

The tall mage looks at her in confusion from his spot in the grass as Levy, finding what she was looking for, rushes back over to him and crouches down, opening a large book. Gajeel furrows his eyebrows in thought.

"Ain't that-"

"It's the book Master had me working on before we left! You were right! These two symbols are in the book!"

She quickly reaches up, wrapping her arms around her companion's neck, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. Both of the Fairy Tail mages freeze in realization of what just took place and their proximity to each other. Levy quickly jumps back as their faces turn deep shades of pink. The female mage begins to stutter, waving her hands in front of her body, trying to physically wave away the embarrassment that was evident by the blush covering her visage.

"I! Wha- Sorry! I didn't mean!"

Gajeel clears his throat, placing a hand over his face and averts his eyes from the blushing woman in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, blush, and happiness.

"'s okay Bookworm. Jus' finish yer runes."

Levy nods and sets back to her work, not noticing that Gajeel's blush gets deeper as he thinks of the mage's lips on his own instead of just his cheek. What he doesn't realize is that Levy's mind isn't completed focused on her work. She, too, is wondering how her lips would feel being pressed against his.

_Bad Levy! Control yourself!_

_ It's official. I'm a girl. Damn emotions and shit._

* * *

After another two hours of awkward silence, a shout echoes through the clearing.

"Yes! Now, I just need to put these together and reverse the order of these and… Finished!"

Levy wipes the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand and smiles triumphantly looking over at Gajeel who had lain back in the grass while waiting for her to finish her work. Gajeel now sits up with raised eyebrows.

"Finally finished it, Midget?"

The smile on her face widens and she gives him a short nod before standing up and shouldering her bag, offering her hand down to the male mage to help him stand. Gajeel inwardly smiles at the small gesture and momentarily pauses to take in her beauty that hovers above him before placing his hand in hers and standing. The two mages stand there for a moment, hand in hand before Levy drops his as a blush again creeps across her cheeks. Gajeel clears his throat and looks up at the building.

"Yer sure ya got it right? We won't be fried?"

Levy pauses for a worryingly amount of time before answering the question hovering in the air.

"… Yes."

"What's with the pause, Shrimp? Ya did fix it, Right?"

"I think so! No, I know so! We'll be fine! …I think."

Levy takes a step toward the rune barrier but, she's stopped by a heavy hand placed on her shoulder.

"Lemme go first, Midget."

She nods and waits for Gajeel to cross the line of runes but, a loud mix between a screech and a roar has Levy and Gajeel spinning in their places to look at the forest behind them. What greets them is the image of five zivotinjas with three reptilian like birds in the air. They have long necks that end with short, curved beaks with sharp, pointed ends. Their wings have no feathers but, are made of flaps of skin that cover their bones and their bodies are skeletal looking emaciated with long legs tucked to their bodies as they fly. Levy can still tell that these bird-like creatures have talons that curve like their beaks and the worst part is their size. These creatures are larger than the zivotinjas and it amazes the mages that they can be airborne but, they don't have time to wonder about the weight of them because of how fast the creatures are hurtling towards them.

"**RUN SHRIMP!**"

Gajeel pushes Levy towards the building, forgetting about the barrier but, luckily she passes over it without disappearing with a sizzle. The dragon slayer follows her footsteps and they sprint toward the building's stairs that lead to the large double door entrance. Fortunately, the doors are heavy stone and not wood. Once Gajeel opens one door just enough for the two of them to slip through, he slams it shut and lets the solid script mage create a barricade with an iron post placed against the door.

"Where the hell did those things come from?!"

"They probably noticed that I brought down the rune barrier."

The sounds of growls and screeches, accompanied with scratching on the other side of the door commence after multiple thuds against the hard material as the creatures slam into the heavy door. Levy sighs in relief when she realizes that the door will hold against them and turns to survey their surroundings now that they have finally entered the library. She cannot contain her gasp of shock causing Gajeel to spin around once more.

"Holy hell. This is gonna be a long day."

* * *

**Guys, I really suck and I am so sorry that this is incredibly late! I had finals this past week and was just exhausted. I passed out at eight last night. So! here is chapter 5! I am also sorry that this story is going painstakingly slow but, I wanted to develop their feelings for each other a bit more before the story got further along. I have so much planned for this fic I had to write it down so I didn't forget. Also, thank you so much for all of the reviews! They are a huge confidence booster and I love reading them all. Please please review! I love them! Look forward to chapter six next weekend! I have this entire week off from school so, it should be on time. Maybe you'll get a double chapter posting! Okay, thanks guys! enjoy! Please critique and review! See you next weekend!**


	6. The Maze

Once Gajeel had taken in the sight before him, he feels a dull pain, pounding the front of his skull. He knows right away that this isa one of the headaches he would get when he attempted to understand what Levy was working on simply because it was so complex. What is in front of the two Fairy Tail mages is a large room filled with stair cases. Hundreds of them that seemed impossible to climb because they led from floor to wall to ceiling and back and some were even upside down and turned sideways.

"This is amazing!"

Levy gasps in astonishment as she slowly walks forward to investigate further. Once she is in the middle of the room, she tilts her head back to see the ceiling but, the room seems to go on forever. Light is nonexistent the further up the stairs go and, eventually, it is pitch black. From the outside, the building did not seem so tall but, it is obvious that there is a mysterious type of magic at play here.

"What the hell is this place?"

Gajeel grumbles in confusion once he stepps up next to the solid script mage and looks up to the dark abyss that swallows any light attempting to breach its territory.

"It certainly doesn't look like a library, does it?"

The dragon slayer snorts in response and turns back to the main doors where the sounds of scratching and thumping finally ceased but, he pauses, smelling the air. There is a lingering scent that resembles the smell just before a summer thunderstorm mixed with… he can't even describe what the next scent was. All he knows is that it reminds him of danger and pure terror. He has the urge to grab the small woman, throw her over his shoulder and run out of the building to never return. He hadn't felt this in a long time but, he knows, they can't leave because of the creatures outside and he did not want to risk the safety of his companion.

Once Gajeel reaches the doors, he realizes that two hallways branch off in either direction to the right and to the left leaving a foyer like room in front of the doors. These hallways are lit softly by orbs of fire that hover in the air against the walls of the passages.

"Maybe these lead to the books!"

Levy appears next to the male mage and starts walking down one of the corridors but, Gajeel's arm shoots out and his calloused hand grips her tiny wrist, halting her advance. She turns around and furrows her eyebrows in confusion at him.

"Jus' be careful Shrimp. We have no idea what's in this so called 'library'. 'Nd stay close, Alright?"

Levy smiles up at him as she places her other hand over his and nods.

"I'll stay right by your side, Gajeel. I'm not going anywhere."

The tall man feels a sense of loss when her hand slides through his fingers and he watches her step down the hallway with a sense of dread.

_Maybe we shoulda jus' left after all._

* * *

_We definitely shoulda left._

Levy bends over at her waist, placing her hands on her knees and tries to catch her breath as Gajeel leans his tall form against the wall of their recently discovered passageway.

"Where the fuck did those things come from?"

The iron dragon slayer glances at the small female mage still recovering from their sprint through the maze like passages that have been filled with monsters that neither of them have ever seen. There are large lizards that look as though they are made entirely of brown, rough rock with large round heads and slits for eyes that glow neon green and mouths that seem like black holes that threaten to suck in anything close to them. Their bodies are large with 4 legs jutting out from their round bodies. They clearly resemble boulders magically moving together but, spit acid and have long tails covered in barbs that have hooks on the end. Gajeel found that out the hard way and still has a barb stuck in his arm.

There are even tiny insects or, they look like insects but, upon closer inspection, they are tiny reptilian like bugs with multiple, white, feathered wings and scaly underbellies. Their entire bodies are covered in gray fur and they have needle like mouths that are as sharp as needles and as strong as diamonds. They managed to pierce through one of the passage walls because, unfortunately, they can grow these beaks at will.

These are monsters that Levy could not even imagine would appear in her worst nightmares. They are beyond terrifying and powerful. The most fearful are the doglike creatures that have rippling muscular bodies resembling Elfman when he is in the midst of battle but, they do not have faces. All they have are stumps where their heads should be that blossom open, flaps of skin like new petals, to reveal spiraling layers of teeth. They manage to follow the two mages wherever they go, without a nose and eyes. It is almost as if they know where they are going to be. They also have claws at the ends of their feet that extend with serrated edges.

Gajeel is beyond frustrated. There are hundreds of these creatures and he can't take them all on while making sure they don't get anywhere near his companion. Also, they haven't found any evidence of this structure being a library, considering they have been running down corridors and passageways with no doors and no books.

_What kinda library is this?_

"We should keep a move on, Bookworm. Don't want to run into anymore of those things."

Levy simply nods as she stands, finally regaining a bit of her strength and composure.

"There has to be doors around here somewhere, right?"

Gajeel snorts in response as he begins trudging down the hallway that is dimly lit by the odd globes of fire. The solid script mage sighs in near defeat and walks silently next to Gajeel for a few feet before she begins her process of thinking out loud in an attempt at solving the puzzle that is the building itself.

"We have been wandering for hours. There are hundreds of these monsters. With the ground we've covered, it's a larger layout than what we saw outside. There's obviously some strange magic at work here. Why is it called a library if there are no books? Why was there barely any records about this place? How did it become 'lost'?"

She continues to grumble under her breath and gnaw on her bottom lip as she walks and Gajeel can't keep the smirk from his face as he watches her walk ahead, delving further and further in her own world. They are both thrown from their thoughts as the building begins to shake and rumble. It is too late by the time Gajeel notices the considerable amount of space between the two of them and as he shouts her name with his hand reaching out towards her, a wall appears, separating them.

"LEVY!"

"Gajeel?!"

"Are ya alright, Bookworm?"

"I-I am!"

"Step away from the wall! I'm gonna smash through it!"

The dragon slayer waits for a few heavy seconds before taking in a deep breath.

"IRON DRAGON'S ROAR!"

A swirling vortex of gray wind mixing with flexible metal, pummels the stone wall separating the two Fairy Tail mages. Once the dust clears away, Gajeel's heart sinks. There isn't even a dent in the wall, much less a hole that he or Levy can fit through.

_Goddammit! What am I gonna do now?_

"What are we going to do Gajeel?!"

"Just walk, alright Shrimp? I'll try to get to you as soon as I can but, stay outta trouble!"

He can faintly here her giggle from the other side of the wall and a smirk breaks his worried visage.

"Alright! That goes for you too, Gajeel Redfox!"

Gajeel's smirk widens into a grin.

"Just keep walkin'! I'll try and find ya by yer scent!"

"Okay. Don't take too long, alright?"

"I won't."

_I hope I won't._

* * *

**I am so sorry this is late even after I promised it would be on time. I am now taking my summer courses to finish up some credits so, I will try to post every week or two. I have everything I want to happen planned out but, I'm posting these chapters as I write. Thank you for all of the kind words of encouragement! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the creatures I have created. Please, review and tell me what you think! Positive or negative! I just enjoy hearing from you! Thanks guys!**


	7. The Confusion

_Guys, I know I suck. I'm so sorry for this being late but, I had a major writer's block and just figured out how I wanted these next 2 chapters to go exactly. I hope that the chapters will be released sooner than this in the future but, I can't promise anything. Sorry! I do want to thank you guys for all of the encouragement and reviews that I received since posting this story. It makes me so incredibly happy so, please, continue with the reviews! It helps me to advance with my writing skills! I hope you enjoy chapter 7 and I look forward to your reviews!_

* * *

It had been only two hours but, it had felt as though days passed to Levy, who, had been walking through the intricate labyrinth in an attempt to find her companion, Gajeel. Exhaustion had crept up on her like heavy weights that dragged her eye lids toward the ground. She rubbed her eyes as she tried to wake up, even a slight bit. The short, blue haired mage, paused in the middle of a long passageway, exhausted, when a scream ripped through the air around her and caused her head to whip in the direction of the shrill cry as her eyes snapped back open. It sounded just like her friend, the celestial mage, Lucy.

Levy threw herself down the path the cry sounded from as her heart pounded in her ears.

_Why is Lucy here?! She should be back at Fairy Tail! Or, on a mission with Natsu and Happy!_

The tiny woman rounded a corner and nearly fell when she suddenly halted because of what was displayed in front of her. Jet's body was slumped against the wall of the passageway; his body illuminated in an eerie fashion from the fire orbs that lit up the dank corridor. The flame's light reflected off the pool of blood that continued to spread beneath the High Speed magic mage. Levy's hand flew to her mouth to muffle the scream that threatened to escape her lips. Jet's head was tilted forward, resting on his chest and his arms were spread outward, resting against the wall behind him. His legs that used to carry him at incredible speeds were now bent in awkward directions showing just how broken they were. He was completely covered in blood and lacerations.

Tears had begun streaming down Levy's cheeks as her body shook. She leaned against the opposite wall from Jet and began inching down the hallway, keeping her eyes locked on her friend but, wanted to be as far away from the sight as possible.

_ This can't be real. Please, don't let this be rea-_

Out of the corner of her eye, Levy spotted a large yellow form that was laid on the ground. This time, the scream forced its way passed her lips and made it seem as though the walls shook. Droy was lying face down on the dirt ground with a large splatter of blood that covered his back. A large, gaping hole was centered in the middle of his body and blood continued to spill from it. It seemed as though a large object had been shoved through his chest and then, ungraciously removed from it. Levy sobbed loudly and fell to the floor, letting her knees catch her as sobs wracked her small body. She slowly stretched out her arm towards Droy when another scream rushed down the passageway and invaded Levy's ears.

She found herself sprinting down the hall as fast as her legs would carry her. She screamed once she rounded another corner as she discovered Lucy being held up by a hand that gripped her neck. Her limp body hung there with her eyes glazed over, staring at the tall man, cloaked in a black robe with wild, unruly black hair, who held her as he cackled and continued to tighten his fingers, cutting off her airways. As soon as the man released his grip around Lucy's neck, she crashed to the floor into a crumpled heap, not moving, and her eyes still staring. Levy felt as though something held her feet in place as the man slowly turned around to face her. Her body shook violently, her eyes widened and tears ran down her already wet cheeks. Gajeel's smirking face that was splattered with blood, turned to meet her. He was dressed in his usual garb except for the long, black robe that was draped over his shoulders.

"Gihihi. I knew ya would come. Fairy trash."

Levy looked at him in terror and confusion as he stepped toward her menacingly.

"G-Gajeel! What have you done?! What do you mean 'Fairy trash'? I don't understand!"

The tall mage smiled cruelly down at Levy as she began to back away from him in terror.

"It was all fake. Why the hell would I join that stupid guild of yers? Yer all just a bunch of weak pieces of trash. Nah. I wanted ta destroy ya from the inside out."

Levy shook her head in disbelief and stopped in her tracks to look up at him with questioning eyes.

"But, why?! I thought-"

Gajeel's deep laugh reverberated off the stone walls in the tiny corridor, causing Levy's eyebrows to furrow in further confusion.

"What? Ya thought we bonded? Are ya out of yer mind? Honestly, I din think ya were this stupid. I just made it seem that way so I could get close to Makarov. He's the one I'm after but, you and yer little pals were a bonus of fun thrown in."

The solid script mages eyes widened in terror as fresh tears streamed down her face and she wrapped her arms around her trembling form. The blue haired mage's head slowly shook back and forth, attempting to rid itself of the images of her dead friends and the man in front of her.

_It was all a lie?! H-how could this happen? I thought he was my friend! I thought I loved him!_

This time, Levy's eyes widened in shock.

_I love him. I do. How did I not see this before? I love him._

A small whisper of a phrase echoed throughout the corridor and Gajeel glared at the woman in front of him.

"What did ya say, trash?"

She looked up at her companion with new determination and smiled.

"I love you."

The man in front of her clearly flinched in shock and stood in silence before bursting out in laughter.

"Ya really are stupid, Levy. I can't believe you'd fall for a guy who's about to kill ya."

His laughter ceased when he began stalking toward Levy but, her smile remained on her face causing Gajeel to stop in front of her once more and growled.

"Get that smirk of yer face before I wipe it off for ya."

"You're not Gajeel. You are not the Gajeel I know."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the small mage advanced on him with a fierce light in her eye.

"Whaddaya mean?"

This time, Levy was the one to laugh.

"Gajeel never calls me Levy. It's always Bookworm, Shrimp, or Midget. The next time, you're going to have to do better."

After a moment of silence, 'Gajeel' smiled and bowed in front of her before speaking in a soft, female voice.

"_Excellently done, Lady Mage. I have clearly misjudged your intelligence."_

'Gajeel', 'Lucy', 'Jet', and 'Droy' disappeared with small puffs of dust leaving the corridor empty with just Levy to occupy the space.

The short woman shot down the hall in search of her companion and the man she loved. She had to find him fast in fear of what the library would show him of his past or of his fears.

_Please let me make it to him soon._


	8. The Hurt

**This is late but, I spent a lot of time on this one so, I really hope you like it! I do have a trigger warning for abuse on this one but, I don't think it's that bad. Also, forewarning, I cried writing this. Whoops! Also, this chapter is longer than usual! I tried harder just for you guys! The next chapter might take a while to be uploaded because I have no idea where I'm gonna go next. Any speculations or ideas? Message me! I love getting messages! Read and review as always and, enjoy!**

* * *

The passageways continued with more paths branching off the main hall Gajeel traveled through. He had kept a steady, jogging pace, as he tried to find the small female mage but, the corridors confused him and slowed him down with the monsters that appeared at random intervals. Every single place smelled of her scent that reminded him of old books, ink and fresh flowers. The tall iron dragonslayer could not distinguish where she was and it began to infuriate him. He picked up his pace and broke into a run, and threw himself around corner after corner as he hoped that she would be there. It was out of character for him to be like this about someone but, it was Levy. She was so small and every time he got close to the solid script mage, he was afraid she would break if he so much as touched her or got too close. Now, with all of the creatures that lurked in the tunnels, Gajeel didn't want to imagine what could happen and, he knew, he would never forgive himself if something happened to his companion.

While Gajeel was frantically searching for Levy throughout the tunnels that were dimly lit, he hadn't realized that someone was following him. By the time he whirled around after catching their scent, it was too late. He felt a sharp pain on the side of his head and his world blackened with only Levy as his last thought.

* * *

The first thing Gajeel noticed was the hard pounding at the side of his head and the soreness of his body from being laid in an awkward position for an extended period of time. Slowly, the tall mage opened his eyes and was greeted with a brightly lit, circular room that still resembled to labyrinth's halls with stone walls and a dirt floor. The room was as large as the guild hall and every few feet there was an open, arced doorway that seemed to lead farther into the intricate passageways. The ceiling was domed, high above where Gajeel was laying but, in the middle of the dome, a large ball of fire was levitating, bathing the room in a warm light.

Once the light assaulted Gajeel's eyes, a groan escaped his throat as the light worsened the aching of his head. As he rolled over to better assess his surroundings, he heard soft footfalls coming straight for him. The dragonslayer would know those footsteps anywhere.

Levy burst into the large room, screeching to a halt as she saw the dragonslayer slowly getting to his feet.

"Gajeel!"

He couldn't help the smirk that played across his face at the sight of the small mage being completely unharmed.

"Gihi. Guess ya found me first, huh Shrimp?"

The short woman smiled brightly at him and ran over to him happily and stopped in front of him.

"So, where do we go from he-"

Her voice was cut off from the hand that was gripping her throat. Gajeel's eyes widened in utter shock as he realized it was his hand that was tightening around her slender neck. He couldn't move an inch or release his hand. His whole body refused to respond to any commands that his brain was shouting at him as soft gurgling sounds escaped Levy's mouth. Gajeel watched in horror as his hand through her across the room and watched as her body slammed into the stone. The small mage fell to the ground coughing harshly as she tried to get air into her lungs when her shaky voice reached him.

"W-what are you doing Gajeel?"

His body sped towards her and he felt an evil grin play across his face as his eyes glared down at the woman on the ground.

"I've been wanting ta do this for a long time, ya Midget."

She shook her head at him as her eyebrows knitted together in utter confusion.

"What are you talking about? I-I thought-"

He heard the laugh rumble from his chest and watched as his calloused fingers tangled themselves in her bright blue hair that he had longed to touch but, not like this. To his horror, she was lifted from the ground by the tendrils connected to her scalp, causing a scream of pain and for her hands to fly up to his.

"Ya thought wrong, Fairy Trash."

He curled free hand into a fist and connected it to her stomach at a high speed, making her cough up blood. He screamed and thrashed in his mind but, he was trapped. His own head had become his prison while someone had fun with his body. It was absolute torture watching as he beat her over and over again, occasionally covering his knuckles in iron. Tears streamed down his cheeks in his mind and he roared as his body hit her over and over again. His body laughed every single time his knuckles connected. Finally, the onslaught stopped and Levy was breathing harshly with bruises and cuts all over her body. One eye was swollen completely shut and her lips were torn. She wasn't even fighting anymore and just hung loosely from her hair that was still held tight in his grasp.

"P-please… S-stop… I-I trusted you."

She glanced up at him and the look in her eye ripped his heart to shreds. It wasn't hatred or anger. It was complete and utter betrayal and hurt. The light from her eyes were gone and seemed as though they were screaming for him to finish what he had started. The look was of a woman who had lost the will to live because the one man she trusted most had betrayed her in every sense of the word. Gajeel screamed and tried to break the hold over his body to no avail as he screamed at his body to stop and to leave her alone. He couldn't stand watching the woman he loved being beaten like this. Then, it hit him. He loved her. He couldn't live without her and he never wanted to. All Gajeel wanted to do was cradle the small woman in his arms and reassure her that everything would be alright. His thought process was interrupted as he realized that his free hand transformed into an iron sword. The dragonslayer roared and thrashed in his mind.

"_NO! Stop! Please! Leave her alone!"_

Yet, his body paid no mind to him and plunged the sword through the small mages chest, splattering blood across the wall behind her and all over Gajeel as his body laughed. He felt the free arm move, withdrawing the sword from her chest and watched her fall to the floor in a bloody heap. Her eyes were wide with shock and her mouth was open in a silent scream. Once she collided with the dirt ground, the control over his body vanished and his knees gave out, landing him on the floor net to her body.

"_It had to be done Dragonslayer. She was a hindrance."_

Gajeel whipped around trying to find the source of the voice but, there was no one but the two Fairy Tail mages in the room together. The tall mage slowly turned to look at the body of the small woman as tears rolled down his cheeks. He shakily stretched out a hand toward her and brushed her once soft hair from her face. His arms cradled her from beneath and brought her close to his body as he shook.

"I-I'm so sorry Levy. Please just… wake up, okay? I won't call ya anymore stupid nicknames, okay? No more short jokes, either. Just… please, wake up."

When he realized that no more words would come from the mage's mouth, he roared until his throat felt like it had been clawed at. It seemed as though the walls shook and the ground trembled. He conveyed all of his hurt through that bellow as it rang through the passageways. He vowed to find who did this to him and to her. He wouldn't rest until that person paid for what they did.

Gajeel held her now cold body close to him and glared as the flow of tears ceased once anger took over grief.

"They'll pay for what they did. I'll make sure of that."

* * *

The bellow rang through the halls lough and clear, shaking the walls and managed to reach an exhausted mage's ears that sent her running toward the sound. Her feet carried her swiftly through the halls as her desperation to get to him fueled her energy. She came to a large circular room with a spere of fire lighting the room from above. Then, she saw him on his knees near the opposite end of the room with his shoulders slumped.

"Gajeel!"

At the sound of his name, his head whipped toward Levy with a look of shock and disbelief. She began running toward him with a large smile.

"N-No! Stay away from me! Ya can't be here! Ya can't be alive!"

Levy stopped just a few feet away from him in confusion as her eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you talking about Gajeel? Did you-"

"Shut up! Yer not real! Yer dead! I just watched ya die with my own eyes! I-I… I killed ya!"

He whirled around, looking for the body that was next to him moments before but, couldn't find it.

"Ya were right here! I swear!"

For a moment, Levy looked shocked before realization of what really occurred hit her. Gajeel had been hit with an illusion as well and it seems as though he couldn't break through it. She slowly walked toward the iron dragonslayer who was leaning against the wall behind him, looking at her as if she were a ghost.

"That wasn't real, Gajeel. I'm real. I'm here and I'm alive."

He glared at her and took on a defensive stance, transforming his arm into an iron pole.

"Yer the library messin' with ma head. It said there would be traps but, now this is just cruel."

The small mage continued to walk toward him until she was inches from him.

"No, Gajeel. That was the illusion. See? I'm real."

She outstretched her hand and let it cover his large hand as she smiled up at him. Cautiously, Gajeel lowered his other arm and Levy walked closer to him quickly which was a bad decision. He immediately snarled like a wild animal and produced a layer of iron over his skin that resembled scales.

"Yer not real! Stop messin' with me! Where are ya?! I'm gonna beat ya until ya can't stand anymore!"

Gajeel yelled toward the ceiling, brandishing a sharp sword that was attached to his arm.

"Gajeel! Calm down! It's me!"

He laughed harshly and growled at her.

"I'm not stupid!"

Levy rolled her eyes and placed her hands on either side of his face, standing on the very tips of her toes, pulling his face to hers until their lips connected and brushed against each other. She held him in place as she whispered against his lips.

"I'm right here, stupid. I'm not going anywhere and I'm definitely not dead."

In a flash, the iron skin and sword were gone and his arms wrapped around her waist, hoisting her up in the air and pulling her closer to his body. Her arms snaked around his neck and she entangled her fingers in his hair as they delved deeper into the kiss. Finally, Levy broke free, panting with a blush crawling across her cheeks.

"I told you, I'm real."

Gajeel smiled at her with relief and utter happiness that the woman he loved was alive, well, and in his arms. Levy cleared her throat.

"You can put me down now."

It was Gajeel's turn to blush as he lowered Levy to her feet and cleared his throat.

"Sorry."

Levy looked around the room as she tried to decide which door to go through as they tried to find their way out but, there were only two now. The door from which she came and a new one that was twice the size of the previous doorways with an intricate border or vines and leaves.

"I guess we have to take that one."

Gajeel smirked and walked toward the pathway with Levy not far behind.

"Let's go, Shrimp. And stay close to me this time."

Levy smiled as the two companions made their way to what they hoped was the exit.


End file.
